I think that’s a song lyric, and seriously, this week I have been so over my head, so exhausted, that I curled up on a floor on Wednesday night and bawled. This floor, to be honest, was the floor that I was attempting to lay.

I’ve done two rooms, with the very same laminate, from the very same store, before. Yes, my bedroom is larger than the front sitting room and the home office, but sheesh, shouldn’t be a problem, should it?

Well, it was. My son and I worked our tails off and when we were about 85% done, I walked over the middle of the floor and heard a ‘cracking’ noise. Part of the floor, right in the middle, fell out of the groove.

Fortunately, I had a number to call. The guy came and gave an estimate. And I choked just a little bit. He wanted cash to take up the old floor (that we’d laid down) and to put down the new. Nope, we can do that. In about 15 minutes, we pulled up 3 days (maybe 8 hours) of work.

He came yesterday (I think he had a helper with him…I was at work….son was here to supervise and good thing as he had to go and get a few things). And my floor is laid. Perfectly smooth. Furniture is back in and I’m putting my stuff away.

And I’m rather pissed. Why? Seems that I did not know a simple method of setting these floors. You have to score the boards, along where they ‘hook’ together with a sharp blade (like a box cutter) to remove a little extra bit of material. On both boards. And then they’ll lock perfectly.

Dammit. I wish I’d known that. I would have like to have kept the cash. But you know, sometimes an education comes at a price. And we’ve one more room to do. And yeah, I’ll do it myself. But this time, oh yeah, I’ll get out the box cutter!

In a few it is back to IKEA to return a few items bought LAST week. And to browse a bit (cause I love the place so). Bringing the son with me for a trip and some conversation. I have been thinking ‘soap’ though. A bunch of new soaps are coming. And I think a new lip balm line. I thought of something fun and cool the other night.

Check back soon, hear?

I am. Really. Because it has been nearly 5 weeks since I posted here. Seriously, that’s a horrific situation. I did not mean to leave you high and dry. Really. I did not. But life often has a way of cramming too much into too little, leaving you gasping for air and refreshment, like a freshly caught fish hauled out of the lake.

I’m involved in a lot of new activities. Some of which I’ve chosen. Some of which have rather chosen me. But it is okay. Really, it is. But until they create reliable clones, I’m just going to do the best that I can with what I have. And time, too little of it, is the key issue.

I’m working on a new website. I’ve never built anything (really) before and this is totally different from this site. At least, in theory. Okay, I know that doesn’t make a whole lotta sense, but what I’m doing with the new site (name to be shared soon) is design a site that will help discerning shoppers find handmade quality items easier. Coincidentally, it will also help the makers of those fabulous handmade items get seen faster and in a wider arena, And that really is the key. If no one knows you are ‘there’, no one will buy your items.

I’m learning how to program/design the site. So far, at least at this point, I’m determining that an August opening is going to happen. A few things have to occur, first, of course. I need photos/clipart. I’ve found most of them. But I still need more of them. I also need to upload the site to a server so that I can get the urls for the pages and set up the links. Then, I have to let other biz know of the site. The goal is to spend 50% of revenue on advertising each month. Which means that the site will have a fee. But I hope it is ‘worth it’ to those who are there.

I started a new team on Etsy called RealSoap. The reason? Soapers had been somewhat complacent thinking that the ‘reseller issue’ that has plagued many online selling venues, hadn’t hit our category. And we were all utterly gobsmacked to see folks buying ready made logs of soap, slicing them and puting a label on them. Well, that doesn’t constitute ‘handmade’ to me. RealSoap is a team that promotes folks who actually make what they sell, like moi. Want to check us out? Search RealSoap in the bar at Etsy and you’ll find different shops. Or, you can browse us by going to the team section, finding us and shopping with our membership. You’ll be glad you did.

I’m designing a new soap line. My first attempt to create the soap in my head did not work out. I kinda ‘mushed’ a few of my current techniques and hoped that I’d get the way cool image residing in my brain, but I did not. So I’ll try it again later tonight (fingers crossed) and see if, this time, I do manage to create what I’m calling ‘Sorbet Soap’. I think you’ll love it.

I’m also completing the design work for a new line of candles. More upscale than my current line, each candle is packaged to make it very ’giftable’. Tucked in a cool box and tied with a ribbon, it is something totally new for me. But still totally within the realm of Coquette Bath & Home™ (accent here on the ‘home’).

And, yes, I’m still redecorating. My home office and front sitting room are totally done. Though I did buy a new item at IKEA yesterday (Expedit unit) that I originally intended for my bedroom. Now, not too sure. I may use it in the front sitting room, in place of the white bookcase already there. With 8 cubicle spaces, it will hold a lot of stuff in a more organized way. I also bought 3 inserts (one with 2 drawers and two with just a door). White inserts in a black/brown (their color scheme…) unit. My only drawback is that it is made of engineered wood. I primarily purchase their solid wood items. But I’ve always loved that basic no nonsense design. If I decide not to use it there, then I will take it back.

And get a bookcase unit for my bedroom. That’s the current room on the agenda. I’ve already painted the walls with silvery blue (pale nearly gray) ‘oops’ paint. You know the paint. When the home improvement center doesn’t blend it precisely right for a customer, or if they do not return to pick it up, the paint is seriously marked down. I love getting $35 gallon paint for $9. I generally only buy oops paint. And this one is fabulous. It is nice enough that I’d honestly pay for the paint in full price. If you are looking for a wonderful paint that COVERS (and this paint covered a vivid jade green in a microthin coating cause I only had 1 gallon and a room that–with regular paint–would want 1.5 gallons) you need to buy the Behr paint that also contains a primer.

Absolutely wonderful. And one coat, as mentioned, did the job. I have enough to do, I don’t need to paint a room twice. And with this paint I did not have too.

Today, if the flooring store is open, I’m going to go and get the laminate for my bedroom, roust the 20yr old son out of bed, and lay floor. He and I have done 2 rooms already. And this one could be done today. We have to shift furniture to do it, though.

This list doesn’t even cover all of the past tax returns and stuff that I need to shred (3 bags already done and waiting for recycle), photos to take (like I’ve made a new lotion bar in peach that is fabulous. No, you don’t see it on the site–but I’m about to add it–cause of photos. I’m seriously delinquent in that arena. I HATE taking photos). And more.

Maybe we’ll even stop in at our new favorite sushi restaurant tonight for a dinner. That is, if we get the floor laid.

Hope your world is equally challenging. Keeps us on our toes, huh?

What really makes an office? The file cabinets/shelving/desk? Nah. Those are fine and absolutely essential, of course. But what makes the office is ‘da chair’.

And I bought a new one today. My old one was cobbled together from stuff from a junk yard (I think…). It was okay. It worked and all…but recently a bolt had begun to push through the padding.

It was time to go.

So another reason to visit IKEA (like I need one? LOL)…and I found the most wonderful chair. I ‘sat’ about 15 of them before I sat down in…heaven. The Verner chair in a snappy black vinyl faux leather. Which, by the way, was also one of the least expensive at $59.

It did take me some time to put it together. But I’m sitting in it right now. Very comfy, with lower back support and a tall enough back to rest a head chock full of new soap designs/scents/colors…

Just thought I’d share!

Okay, it is has been a few days since I last posted. And life has been, well let’s just say it has been challenging…

We have this lovely corgi named Etta. She really is a doll, but she also prefers to potty in the house. On the carpet. In my home office. Well, ugh. Gross. Okay, quadruple gross.

Can you get worse than quadruple gross? I think not.

Anyway, I decided to put laminate flooring in this room. And I love IKEA. So I went to my local store in Frisco, TX and bought a bunch of the stuff. I bought a lot of stuff from their IVAR fixturing (LOVE!) to some odd and end stuff. They always have such cool things that I just gotta have.

The flooring was supposed to be easy. And laying down the floor base (the plastic and the foam) WAS easy. But the flooring? Not so much. In fact, not even close.

I got only a few rows done a night. Even with my kids helping. And my kids aren’t little ones. Son is nearly 19. Daughter just turned 16. So they were good helpers. But the stuff wouldn’t go together. In fact, when you walked over it, it separated. I have never lost my temper so many times in my life. I think I was up to about 2.5 hissy fits an hour.

I had tore up the room and put stuff everywhere. I mean, this is the room where boxes and sacks of thing and that are store. My computer. My files. My laser printer. My finished products, too. Everything, in fact. So it was a mess to move and I’m still putting it back. But I jumped ahead of my story…

On Friday last week, I reached a major crossroads. The flooring simply wouldn’t go. I literally laid down on the floor, after an hour and a half trying to lay a single row. The problem with the stuff, apparently, is that you had to form a complete row and then lock it into place.

I know…seriously, I know…

I called customer service, because i couldn’t find the receipt. And you know what? I’m not going to share that experience. Suffice it to say that it was far less than satisfactory. Fortunately, in the middle of talking with rep #2, I did find the receipt. I tore up that floor, that had taken me more than 6 days to lay, in less than 10 minutes. At 11 minutes, I was driving to Frisco.

The return went well. And the next morning, I was at Lowes buying another laminate floor product. Stellar from the manager who helped me play with pieces on the floor, making sure that I could do it, myself. To the actual product. I laid this flooring in less than 5 hours. And got half done before either kid rolled out of bed. I love this floor. And when I find my digital camera (LOL), I’ll post a photo of it. But let me say that it look GORGEOUS! I still have a little baseboard to tack down…but if you’re interested in doing a floor redo, do it. You won’t be sorry.

But although I do love IKEA for a great many things, don’t bring their tundra flooring home. Seriously. Do. Not.

You’ve been advised.